In Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall," Thomas More enjoys a certain level of respect from the king, indicating his importance and influence. He sees himself as a complex figure in the realm of religious reform, blending the ideas of past reformers like Wycliffe, Luther, and Zwingli into a single, multifaceted identity. This self-comparison, akin to a bird stuffed within another, suggests that More feels both significant and potentially overwhelming in the political and theological landscape of his time.

The metaphor of being "packed" like a pheasant inside a chicken embodies More's intricate and layered role in the ongoing religious debates. It illustrates that he perceives himself as a composite of various reformist ideas, suggesting both a depth of thought and a potential conflict within his beliefs. The letter he writes to the king reveals his wit and his complex relationship with reform, hinting at the tensions of the era as different ideologies vie for acceptance and power.